The Daily Beet

25 Oct Plant-Strong Halloween!

Halloween is around the corner! We are getting ready for our Halloween potluck in Austin this Thursday! Please join us if you live in the area!

How can you have a healthy Halloween for your family?

We asked on facebook how you make Halloween healthy, and here are some of your suggestions:

1. Trade up! Have your kids go trick-or-treating and at the end of the night they can trade their candy for something bigger, like a special toy/book they really want, or a few smaller toys/trinkets. *Donate candy to the office/send to our troops overseas.

2. For every pound of candy they earn a dollar amount.

3. Let them choose 5-10 pieces of candy from the loot. Donate the rest.

4. Throw a halloween party with healthy food and fun games instead of trick-or-treating!

5. Make it a game. See who can pick out the healthiest treats from their bag. Whoever wins gets a prize.

6. Hand out healthy treats at your house, or opt for non food treats, halloween themed pencils/erasers/hair accessories/stickers instead of treats. That way there is no junk in the house when the night is over!

7. Find some new, fun traditions! Watch a Halloween themed movie with some popcorn (no butter of course) and other plant-strong snacks!

How the Engine 2 Diet Came to Life

As a world-class triathlete turned firefighter, Rip Esselstyn was used to responding to emergencies. When he learned that one of his fellow Engine 2 firefighters in Austin, Texas was in dire physical condition with a dangerously high cholesterol level of 344, he sprang into action and motivated the entire Engine 2 firehouse to join together in plant-strong solidarity to help save the life of their friend.